Lasting, Lingering Guilt
by Mariko Azrael
Summary: [Timeranger] Guilt never goes away, not really. It lingers until just the right time, then it comes back full swing. [Post series, spoilers apply.  Takes place after my fic 'The Changed Tomorrow', spoilers apply there as well]


Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Takes place post series, spoilers apply. This also takes place after the events in my fan fiction 'The Changed Tomorrow', so spoilers apply there as well. This was supposed to merely be a transitional story to help set up events for the sequel (which I'm working on, really), but somehow it wound up becoming nearly two thousand words in length. So apologies for any lack in quality.

--

For the first time in a long time, he'd had a good day at work.

It was something Sion had been proposing ever since his promotion to Commander, and after nearly a month of intense negotiations, his superiors had finally reached a decision: under Sion's leadership, the Time Bureau had reformed enough to be permitted to send an unmanned probe three hundred years into the past on routine reconnaissance. It wasn't he wanted, but it was a step in the right direction-- and enough for Domon to invite him to his apartment to celebrate.

"Of course, I wouldn't call re-heated leftovers much of a celebration," Domon admitted as the elevator doors hissed open to the floor his apartment was on. "You'd think that after all the good we've done for the Bureau, they'd pay us more."

"That's the whole point of doing good," Sion reminded him. "You're not supposed to get anything for yourself out of it."

Domon rolled his eyes as he typed in the combination lock on the pad outside his door. "I won't be able to do anything if I can't afford real food--"

Both of them froze at the sight of a young woman relaxing in Domon's armchair.

"So this is the Time Bureau's fabled Security Chief, Lieutenant Domon," she said lazily. "You're more impressive on the vid screen feeds." She stood up to her full height. She was shorter than Domon, but not by much.

The aforementioned fabled Security Chief held an arm in front of Sion, partly to protect him, partly to remind him that this was **his **fight. "I'm guessing you somehow got it in your head you can beat me now?"

The unnamed woman smirked, cracking her knuckles. "How about I show instead of tell?"

They stared each other down for several moments... then the woman grabbed Domon in a tight hug. "Nii-san!"

Sion was already confused, and Domon laughing as he spun the mystery woman around didn't help. "Oh, right," Domon said as he set her down. "This future cat burglar is my youngest sister, Kyoko." He patted her on the shoulder for emphasis.

_She really is related to Domon-san? Well, that explains pretty much everything she did earlier, then. _Sion bowed slightly. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyoko-san."

Kyoko made a face. "Kyoko-san? No one calls me that."

"Yeah, well, he will." Domon put his jacket away, and then helped Sion out of his. "Not that I'm unhappy that you snuck into my house or anything, but what're you doing here? I thought you had exams this week."

"First off-- you gave me the combination when you first moved out. Second, exams have been over for two weeks. That's why I'm here; I wanted to see my nii-san before classes start again." Kyoko gave Sion a knowing look. "You chose him for your Chief of Security?"

"Well, when he's at work he's much more pulled together, so--"

"Hey!" Domon gave them both a glare as he went into the kitchen. "You should be nicer to the man who's re-heating your dinner."

Kyoko's eyebrows shot up with interest. "You know, the past few months I've had nothing but cafeteria food. Even nii-san's leftovers would taste good at this point--"

"Yeah, yeah, you can stay for dinner." Domon waved a hand at her as he kept rummaging. "Just try not to get in my way."

--

Sion didn't say much during dinner. He hadn't wanted to. He was enjoying Domon and Kyoko bantering too much to even consider interrupting them.

_So this is what having siblings is like. _He knew Yuuri had her sister again, but he had yet to meet Mei (and given past events, he wasn't sure that Yuuri's relationship with her family could be called normal). Ayase was an only child and he...

There had been times when Sion had allowed himself to think that if he'd had an older brother, he would have been like Tatsuya. But now he was gone...

No. I will see him again. It's just going to take awhile.

"You okay?" Domon frowned at him. "You looked kinda distant there for a second."

"I'm fine." Sion began to clear the table. "I'm just going to clean up."

Domon's frown deepened. "What're you talking about? You're the guest!"

"I know, but Kyoko-san's a guest as well." Sion leaned over to collect Domon's dishes. "And I'm certain you two want to catch up." The kitchen door shut behind him.

--

For the first time that evening, Domon and Kyoko were silent.

"So," Domon finally began, "how's Grandpa?"

Kyoko stared at the table. "Better. He still gets that vein in his forehead if someone mentions you, though."

This was starting to get old for Domon, fast. "We're all gonna move out at some point. I did, you did--"

"I moved out to attend college. I'll be going back when I graduate." She gave him a weak smile. "And you know how he can get with the whole grandchildren growing up and leaving the nest thing."

"... But it's not just that with me, is it?"

"Okay, before I continue let me say that while I may not completely understand your re-enlisting at the Time Bureau, I support your decision," she assured him, arms held in front of her. "But you have to look at this from Grandpa's perspective. For a year, we had no idea what happened to you. The Bureau just kept feeding us the same bull about how you were on a top-secret mission. I wish you could've seen his face when that Captain guy told us you were back. It was the first time I'd seen Grandpa smile that year-- but then that scandal about how the Bureau had pretty much kidnapped you and tried to wipe your mind broke out."

He knew trying to explain it to his sister wouldn't help with his grandfather, but it came out anyways. "They were trying to make me forget what happened in 2000, not--"

"They didn't tell us that. For all we knew, they wanted to wipe your memories of us. So when you add all that together," she said with a look in her eyes that made Domon's chest tighten, "you can't really blame him."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make him worry-- or you."

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laid all of this on you at once." Kyoko tried to smile again, and it almost worked. "It's obvious things are different at the Bureau now, and if you're happy, that's enough for me-- and Grandpa, once he deals with the whole 'running away to that damned house of lies' thing."

He couldn't help it; he had to laugh. "Did he really call the Bureau that?" Why did he even bother asking? This was Grandpa. He was just surprised he hadn't taken a shuttle to tell him that in person.

Kyoko's smile came easier this time. "That's our grandfather for you." Then she blinked. "Hey, where's Sion? It shouldn't take this long to clean up after three people."

Domon looked over his shoulder at the kitchen door-- if Sion had left, they would have heard it open. "You got a point there."

"Of course, considering how much you stuffed your mouth at dinner, I wouldn't surprised if he winds up spending the rest of tonight on the dishes alone--"

"Save the verbal barbs for later." Domon stood and strode into the kitchen. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to see if Sion needs any help."

--

Kyoko mentioning Sion was taking longer that he should have vaguely reminded Domon of his apartment's tendency to carry sound. The sight that awaited him-- Sion springing back to the counter, trying and failing to look busy-- was what got his memory working again.

He might as well get to the point. "Listen, she didn't mean--"

Sion's face was a study in guilt. "I never knew your family was against you joining the Bureau again."

Domon groaned inwardly. "No one's against anything, all right? My grandfather just needs to get over the fact that I grew up. That's all."

Big surprise, he wasn't listening to him. "If I'd known re-enlisting would drive your grandfather away from you--"

"You never would have asked me to come back, is that what you're trying to say?" Sion flinched at his tone, but he was too angry to care. "Let me remind of something first: you **didn't **ask me. It was my decision." Domon's overprotective instincts when it came to anything concerning Sion finally got the better of him as he stopped arguing and settled for pushing the hair out of his eyes. "Mine alone."

It was the closest thing to a real smile Sion had given him since he'd first told him the big news that afternoon. "Oh. Right. I keep forgetting."

Domon imagined his smile was close to Sion's. "Well, you're not the only one with a bad memory in the room, so I wouldn't worry about it too much."

Sion stifled a laugh as he leaned toward Domon for a second... and then headed for the door. "I hate to say it, but I better get going. If I want that experiment to happen, my report has be done by tomorrow morning."

He followed Sion into the living room (and ignored Kyoko's faux innocent look), grabbing his jacket for him. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"Thanks, but no. The whole thing is just reaffirming what I told the Board." He smiled at him one last time. "I'll see you in the morning, Domon-san."

"Actually, I should get going too." How Kyoko moved from the table to Sion's side that quickly, he'd never know. She smiled at Sion charmingly. "I don't suppose you'd mind walking me home? This city gets scary at night."

Kyoko had never called anything scary in her life-- which meant she had some scheme up her sleeve. "Kyoko, Sion's got a lot of--"

"Oh, I don't mind, Domon-san. In fact, the campus is on my way home." He stood in the doorway, keeping it open for her. "Shall we go?"

Domon's eyes narrowed in suspicion as his sister giggled and grabbed Sion's arm. She had something planned. He just didn't know what.

But knowing Kyoko, it wasn't anything good.

--

"You heard everything, didn't you?"

Sion blinked in surprise. Kyoko had been silent the whole time (to the point where he was beginning to wonder if she only felt at ease around members of her family). He went over his choices and came to the conclusion there were was nothing to gain in lying.

"I caught the end of it."

Kyoko's face was unreadable as they approached the dorms. "Then you heard me when I said nii-san coming back was the first time Grandpa had smiled in a year."

Then, without warning, she was all cheer again. "So let me tell you something else: when nii-san was with you... I've never seen him smile like that in my life."

"Kyoko-san..."

"Anyways, I got a ton of stuff to do tomorrow, and you have the work thing." Kyoko yawned, stretching her arms over her head. "Be sure to be tough on my nii-san, it's the only way to get him to do any serious work!"

Sion watched her as she walked away. The guilt eating at him wasn't gone.

But Domon and Kyoko had, in their own ways, made it bearable for him. For now, that would have to do.


End file.
